Second Chances
by DeMindelan
Summary: [Mai Otome] Five years after the rebuilding of Fuuka Castle, Erstin Ho is found, alive, but without much memory of the past. Meanwhile, things aren't going quite as planned for Nina in Artai... Shoujoai, Eventual NinaErstin
1. The Beginning of Things

Heh. And here I told myself I'd never write another fanfic. Ah, well, c'est la vie. I was extremely disappointed with how Erstin ended up in the anime, compared to some I viewed as deserving much worse than their due. Coughtomoecough So I came up with this idea, and the temptation was far too much for a mortal such as I to resist.

Anywho, on with the story. I don't own Mai Otome, though I rather wish I did.

* * *

The Beginning of Things

It was dark. That was all she knew about the odd void she drifted in. It wasn't loud, nor was it quiet. She didn't feel hot, but nor did she feel cold. It was nothingness.

And she was content.

She couldn't remember much about the time before she was in the void, but she could remember sadness, and confusion. There was happiness as well, but it was a dull feeling next to the sharper ones of sorrow. So she was fine with floating in nothingness. Here, there was nothing but her thoughts, forever.

Then there was something else. A snatch of music, faint but growing stronger. Teasing in and out of the organ's heavier tune was snatches of a softer, sweeter sound, that of singing. It was the singing, more than the music, which made her look about for the source of the sound. The melodic voice was one she recognized; one that made her heart beat faster. It made the happiness she remembered feel so much sharper than the sorrow.

She saw it. A pinpoint of light in the darkness, growing larger as the music grew louder. She reached for the light, trying to move through the emptiness, a single thought reverberating though her mind.

"Ni… na…"

* * *

Many people, she knew, would be grateful to be in her position. Several more would likely kill to be in her position.

At the moment, though, she wished that she was anywhere else.

"Ara, Natsuki, I'm surprised at your boldness. If you want to do that, we'll have to cancel our date." Her companion's teasing tone instantly made the girl in question's face turn red.

"Sh-Shizuru! I didn't drop my pants on purpose!"

"That's too bad, I wouldn't have objected." Moving forwards, Shizuru wrapped her arms around Natsuki from behind, pressing herself to her lover's smaller form. Though that made the Gakuenchou blush, it also, oddly enough, made her relax.

"Idiot… We've been planning this for far too long to cancel. Who knows when we'll both have a day off again?" She leaned into the embrace for a moment, and then slipped free. "I have to go change my pants, then we can go. I accidentally put on the cut pants again." Tossing the pants on top of the trash can, Natsuki went into their bedroom to change.

Meanwhile, a pair of well-manicured hands carefully picked up the pants and placed them in the dirty clothes. "Fufufu, poor Natsuki still hasn't caught on."

A little while later, the two of them were roaring through the streets of Wind City on Natsuki's bike. They made quite a sight, Natsuki slipping in and out of traffic easily, and Shizuru catching the eyes of many a viewer. Yelling to be heard over the wind, Natsuki turned back and asked, "Where to first, Shizuru?"

After thinking for a moment, Shizuru replied, "How about a café?"

Natsuki chuckled. "Of course."

A few streets later they found a likely place, the Linden Baum. After Natsuki locked up the bike, they walked in together. "How was the trip to Carlteya, Shizuru?"

The ever graceful brunette put her hand to her cheek and sighed. "Poor Akane is still trying to find some alone time with Kazuya, but Maya is still acting the vigilant mother-in-law." She smiled, "But relations are going very well between Carlteya and Florince. I was hardly needed at all."

Natsuki nodded. "Good. They're finally getting over the incident with Kazuya and Akane. Maybe now they'll sign the Technology Proliferation Treaty."

Sliding into a booth, Shizuru said, "Maybe. If they don't, I'm sure Queen Mashiro will convince the King somehow."

Natsuki winced a little. "If she doesn't lose her temper again."

Shizuru hid a smile behind her hand. "I don't know, Natsuki, usually she only ever loses her temper at Arika nowadays."

Natsuki opened her mouth to retort, but before she could say anything, the waitress popped up next to their table. "Welcome to Linden Baum's. How may I help you?"

"I'll have some green tea, thank you."

"A coffee and a bagel with mayo, please."

"Okay. I'll bring it over right away." Bowing, the waitress hurried away from the table.

"Ara, Natsuki, all the mayonnaise you eat is going to make you fat. Not that fat Natsuki won't be just as cute." Expecting a blushing denial of cuteness and of the unhealthiness of mayo, Shizuru was surprised to find her lover's face thoughtful.

"Shizuru. Haven't we seen that girl before?"

Shizuru turned to look again at their waitress. The girl had short blond hair and green eyes, though the most noticeable feature about her was her rather gregarious bust. Looking thoughtful, she turned back to Natsuki. "I can't place where, but I think we have. Maybe she was the waitress at another café?" A flash of deviousness appeared on Shizuru's face, and she pouted. "Ara, but is Natsuki checking out other women? And I thought I had a special place in her heart." Turning away, the sly brunette began to fake tears.

That time she was rewarded by a panicked Natsuki's vehement assurances that Shizuru was the girl she loved, the only girl she loved, and that she would never leave her. However, Shizuru let slip a small smile, and Natsuki immediately blushed. She'd been tricked. "Shizuru! Stop teasing me!" Folding her arms across her chest, she glared across the table at her girlfriend. "I face down the most cunning ambassadors and monarchs, and you _still _trick me."

Shizuru's smile grew into the pleased grin of the cat that got the cream. "The day a stranger knows more about my Natsuki than I, why, that's the day I give up tea."

"Here you go, Ma'ams. One coffee and bagel, and one green tea." Carefully the waitress set down their orders. "Just flag me down if you need anything else, or you're ready to leave."

She turned to leave, but was stopped by Natsuki. The Headmaster of Garderobe had gotten her blush under control, and looked very much her role as she asked, "Excuse me, but may I ask your name?"

The blond hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Yes. I'm Erstin Ho, Ma'am."

Both Natsuki and Shizuru's reactions to the name were immediate. Shizuru gasped, and Natsuki jumped out of her seat. "Erstin! You're supposed to be dead!"

* * *

Aaaaand that's all for Chapter 1. Horrid, eh? Well, drop me a line and tell me how to improve it. More updates as I write more chapters.

13


	2. In Which Things Are Explained

Ahhh, surprisingly, I'm still writing this. Here's chapter 2, folks. Nina/Erstin probably won't happen for a good few chapters, alas. But, since I'm staying a few chapters in front of myself, I'm already frantically trying to think of what to write. X.x

Again, Mai Otome is not mine, alas, though if it was it probably wouldn't be half as good.

* * *

In Which Things Are Explained

"So… you say I used to be one of the Otome that go to this school?" After discovering Erstin at the café, Shizuru and Natsuki had immediately taken the girl back to Garderobe. Erstin now sat in a chair facing the Headmaster's desk, being interrogated by Natsuki. Shizuru, of course, was making tea.

"Yes. Are you sure you don't remember anything?"

The blond shook her head. "No, I don't remember much beyond around five years ago. My boss's wife found me lying on the doorstep, and they gave me a place to stay and a job." She paused. "Um, can you tell me more about my past?"

Natsuki shook her head. "I'm sorry, but it'll have to wait until after Dr. Yohko has checked you out. Anything I tell you now might affect you getting your full memory back."

"Tea?" smiling gently, Shizuru offered a cup to Erstin, who took it gratefully. As she poured Natsuki a cup as well, she asked, "Why don't you tell us what you do remember?"

Hesitantly, Erstin told them about the void, as she thought of it. "Before that, it's mostly vague feelings rather than anything specific. I haven't told anyone about it before, since it all seems to… farfetched."

Natsuki and Shizuru shared a look. "The Harmonium?"

The headmaster nodded. "It must be. Nothing else has the power to do something like that."

"What's… What's a Harmonium?" the confused Erstin asked.

"Well," Natsuki began, "do you remember the war with Artai awhile back?" Erstin nodded. "That war was fought to stop Duke Nagi from using the Harmonium to destroy all Otome and bring back to old system of war. The Harmonium was a pipe organ-like machine that allowed the player to control space and time to do nearly anything they chose, from keeping an injured person alive to destroying cities." Natsuki paused to drink her tea and let what she said sink in. "Fortunately, the Harmonium was destroyed during the conclusion of the war. But the organ music certainly sounds like the Harmonium was what brought you back from that void."

A knock at the door interrupted further conversation. Popping her head into the room, Dr. Yohko Helene said, "I'm here, Gakuenchou. Where's the patient you called me up to see?"

Standing, Natsuki waved the doctor in and gestured towards Erstin. "This is Erstin Ho. I believe you might remember her. Erstin, this is Dr. Yohko. She's going to check up on you, see if there's anything we can do to regain your memories."

Yohko stopped dead in the middle of the room when she saw who she'd be checking up on, shocked. Then, shaking her head, she smiled at her. "Erstin! It's good to see you again. We all thought you were…" Trailing, off, Yohko went into doctor mode. "Well, that'll wait until later. Gakuenchou, if you have no objections, I'd like to take her down to the lab for a more thorough examination with the scanner."

Natsuki nodded. "That's fine. We'll be here when you're done, to hear the results."

Quickly, Yohko ushered Erstin out of the room, making small talk with the bewildered girl. That left Natsuki and Shizuru alone in the room, and the former sighed and put a hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry I had to cancel our date, Shizuru, but this is important."

Her lover gently smiled at her concern, then poured her some more tea, sipping at the cup herself. "I understand. It's not everyday the dead come back to life."

The Headmaster of Garderobe frowned and sat down. "Not only that, but who knows if other Schwarz member escaped? They might yet be able to summon their Slaves. _She _might yet be able to summon her Slave." She looked her at Shizuru. "I hate to ask you on your day off, but could you go to the castle and inform Queen Mashiro and Arika of the situation? I'm sure the queen would like to know, and Arika used to be one of Erstin's roommates, I believe." Picking up her cup, she took a drink of her tea.

Smiling, Shizuru answered, "Of course." She caught Natsuki's eye and winked. "By the way, Nat-su-ki, indirect kiss."

As expected, the blue haired woman immediately turned red, but she also smiled. Standing up, she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist and murmured, "Here's something more direct," before gently kissing her.

* * *

Back in Yohko's lab, Erstin laid in the scanner bed, blushing slightly. The machine made a steady hum as it worked, sending streams of data to the computer the doctor worked on. "Hmm… Everything seems fine so far. Blood pressure's normal, you're got no infections, although temperature is a bit high." She noted some things down on a pad of paper, then turned to face the bed. "Here's something interesting, though. Have you noticed that you don't get sick, and seem a bit stronger than most other people your size?" The blond girl nodded. "Well, your Otome nanomachines are still active, more or less." The doctor winked at her patient. "Obviously you haven't been dallying with any boys."

Erstin immediately flushed. "Of-Of course not!"

Yohko laughed. "Of course not. Now, hold your head still. The scanner's going to check your head for brain damage to see if that's the cause of your memory loss."

The amnesiac girl obeyed, and the scanner did its work. The doctor turned to her screen and immediately frowned. "That's odd."

"What's odd?" Erstin asked, concerned.

""Don't move your head while the scanner's working," the doctor scolded, "but to answer your question, there's an overabundance of proteins in your brain. It's very odd… and could be the reason your memories are blocked." She frowned. "I can't think why it's there, though. A hormone imbalance might cause it, but you didn't show any signs of an imbalance before. The only other explanation I can think of is..." Her expression cleared. "Ah. The Schwarz nanomachines."

"Schwarz nanomachines?" Erstin sat up, ignoring the scanner that beeped its protest. "Why are Schwarz nanomachines in my brain?"

Yohko hesitated. "Ah, I'd best not tell you now. However, now that we know the problem, it's relatively easy to fix it." Standing, she walked over to the scanner, shut it down, and sat next to Erstin. "But, do you want to remember everything? Some things may be painful to remember."

Erstin nodded, looking down at her clasped hands. "It's part of who I am. Even if parts are painful, some will be good, won't they?"

Smiling, Yohko stood up. "Yes, they will. But I'm obliged to ask you before I treat you." The young doctor walked back over to her desk and picked up a syringe. "It's a simple injection, the same we used to clear the nanomachines from those who fail to make it to becoming Otome." She filled the syringe with some fluid taken from a glass beaker as Erstin watched nervously. "Now, tonight you'll feel a bit warm as the active nanomachines fight off this injection, but it'll rid your body of the inactive Schwarz machines." Striding across the lad, she gently took the nervous girl's arm in hand. "Don't worry, it won't hurt at all." With the practiced motions of a skilled doctor, it was done.

Just in time, too, for while Erstin was still rubbing her arm, the door burst open to admit a tearful blur of red and while that hurled itself towards the bed. "Ers-chan!"

* * *

Heh. More chapters later as I type them up. And my apologies for the corniness of the indirect kiss thing. I couldn't resist putting that part in.

13


End file.
